Seal.



No. 830,565. l PATENTED SEPT. 11, 1906.

L. A. BROWN.

SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.14. 1905.

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'known in this art.

UNITED STATES nnwis A. BROWN, OF ST.

LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO ST. LOUIS STEEL ENAMELED BRICK AND SEAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

SEAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1 1, 1906.

Application filed September 14, 1905. Serial No. 278,519-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, Lnwrs A. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a new and useful Seal, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to seals, and has for its object to produce an economical seal composed of few parts, consisting, essentially, of a body or case inclosing a spring-held friction member and having a passage-way extending therethrough and a flexible fastener having one end attached to the body or case, the opposite end being adapted to pass through the passage-way and engage the friction member therein.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, I have illustrated a preferred form of my invention.

' Figure 1 is a view of the seal in use. Fig.

2 is an enlarged view in section, showing the position of the friction member and the other parts when the seal is in use. Fig. 3 is a view showing the parts in loose position. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

The body or case of the seal may be made of any suitable material adapted for its purposes. It may be made of metal or alloys, as shown in the drawings, or it maybe molded of frangible material, the use of which is If made of metal, the body or case is composed of two arts shaped as required and rigidly fastene to ether so that they cannot be separated wit out destruction or, at least, so that if separated and again united the fact can be easily detected.

In the form shown the side 1 is stamped out into the shape desired and bent to'form the flange 2, extending around on all sides thereof. Within the part 1 a spring-seat 3 is formed by anelevation 4 terminating in a stop 5. A rib or wall 6 extends lon itudinally within the part 1 and is separated from the elevation 4 by a passa e-way 7, while a slot or hole 8 is out in the ange or wall 2 at each end of size or width equal to the passage 7. An elevation 9 is formed in that end of the part 1 which is opposite from the elevation 4, and the passage-way 7 is continuous between the said elevation 9 and the wall 6. The inner side of the elevation 9 runs on a bias or inclination, as indicated-at 10, thereby forming an opening area in the center. A substantially L-shaped spring 11 has its stem resting in the spring-seat 3 and its foot projecting between the elevations 4 and 9, said spring having a pronounced curve toward the wall 6, asolearly shown in Fi s. 2 and 3.

A side or closure 12 is attached rigidly to the part 1 in order to close the same and hold the parts in position therein. This side may have elevations matching and bearing against the various elevations in the part 1, as shown, Fi 4, or if the elevations in the latter be of su cient size the said side 12 may be flat thereon. The side 12 is inseparably attached to the part 1,:and thereby forms a closed body or case having the passage 7 therethrough and the spring 11 located therein. Within the open area between the spring 1 1 and the wall 6 a small ball 13 is contained, which, however, is a little too large to pass through the passage-way 7. The stop 5 at one end forms a rest for the ball, and the elevation 9 at the other end performs a like function there.

14 indicates a cord or wire which has one end inseparably fastened to the body or case in any approved manner. In applying the seal for use the free end of the cord or wire 14 is passed through the staple or loop 15 and then is threaded through the passage-way 7. If the ball 13 should be above the spring 11, the cord or wire will roll the same over said spring to the position shown in Fig. 3, the ball being there stopped and held by the stop 5 until the cord or wire has been drawn far enough. Then the end of the cord or wire is out off near the body or case and is drawn back, as though it were being removed. Owing to the proximity of the ball 13 and the cord or wire, the latter when it starts back causes the ball to roll along therewith, bending the spring until the ball passes into the open space at the other end. There the ball continues to move with the cord or wire until it becomes firmly wedged between the same and the inclined wall of the elevation 9, as shown in Fig. 2. The seal is then looked and cannot be removed without disfiguration or destruction, as the passage-way 7 is entirely filledby the cord or wire and the free end of the latter has been drawn up into the body or case of the seal, and hence cannot be engaged to draw the ball to loose position.

I have shown and described a preferred construction of the seal, but am aware that variations thereof may be made within limits without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

Therefore, not restricting myself to inessential details, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A seal, comprising in combination a body or case having a passage-way therethrough, a cord or wire connected to the body or. case and adapted to be passed into the passage-way, and a ball located in the body or case to engage and bind or look the cord or wire, when the latter is retracted from the direction of its insertion.

2. A seal, comprising a body or case having a passage-way therethrough, an inclined wall within the body or case, a locking-ball permanently located within the body or case, and a cord or wire having one end fastened to the body or case, substantially as described;

3. A seal, comprising a body or case having a passage-Way therethrough, an inclined wall therein, a movable ball within the passage-way, means for holding the ball permanently within the passage-way and a cord or wire having one end fastened to the body or case.

4. A seal, comprising a body or case having a passage-way therethrough, a spring therein, a ball within the passage-way, a flexible cord or wire fastened to the body or case and adapted to be passed into the passageway therein and. means whereby the ball will be caused to bind the cord or wire in the passage-way, substantially as described.

5. A seal, comprising a body or case having a passage-way therethrough, a spring therein, a ball within the body or case, said body or case having on its inside an inclined wall running away from the passage-way, and a cord or wire fastened to the body or case and adapted to pass through the passage-way, substantially as described.

6. A seal, comprising a metallic case having a hole in each end, a wall 6 and elevations 4 and 9 forming a passage-way between said holes, a spring between said elevations 4 and 9, a ball movable from one to the other of said elevations, and a cord or wire for the purpose specified.

7. A seal, consisting of a closed metallic case having a passage-way therethrough and a relatively large area at its center, a spring and ball located insaid area, said body or case having an inclined wall for said ball to bear against, and a cord or wire fastened to said case and adapted to pass through said passage-way, substantially as described.

8. A seal, comprising a closed case, having a passage-way therethrough, a spring-seat within the case, a spring held in the springseat, a ball movable from one end of the spring to the other, said body or case having an inclined wall whereon the ball may bind, and a cord or wire fastened to said case, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS A. BROWN. [L. s] Witnesses:

F. J. MCCASLIN, ROBERT Lone. 

